Tube-expander.



J. P. KBRRIGAN.

TUBE BXPANDER.

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@when JAIE'IES P. KERBIG'AN, OF TILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

TUBE-EXPANDER.

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Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

Application led May 14, 1913. Serial No. 767,602.

T0 all whom may concern Be 1t known that I, JAMES P. KERRIGAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at lililmington, in the county of Newcastle, State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Expanders; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip* tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to .which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in tube expanders, and has particular application to a tool adapt` ed to be employed in fixing the end of a tube in a tube sheet or plate.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a tool adapted to be inserted in the ends of a tube which is seated in the tube aperture or bore of a tube sheet, the tool being so operated that the end of the tube will be expanded against the tube seat, and at the same time its outer end will be dared or forced outwardly'to hold the tube in position. n

lt is also my purpose to provide a tool which may be employed in expanding and flaring tubes for boilers of various types, and the device is also particularly useful in Hanging steam and water pipes into connecting fittings therefor.

I also provide a self-feeding device which is substantially self adjusting to various conditions of work without the necessity of employing additional guides, collars and the like under ordinary circumstances.

Stilla further object of my invention is the provision of an expanding and Hanging tool which will embody the desired features of simplicity, durability, efliciency andreliability, and which may be manufactured and marketed at a relatively low cost.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings: Figure l 5' is a view in side elevation of a tool embody- 0 taken through the ball socket rollers on the line 6 6 of` Fig. 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter A. indicates a tube sheet having the usualy aperture B therein, the wall of which forms a seat forv the tube C, the outerend D of which projects beyond the outer face of the tube sheet, this end D being adapted to be lianged or flared by means of my improved tool so that they tube may be fixed in the sheet.

My tool comprises a body or cage 1, which is cylindrical in form and made of any suitable metal, this body having a longitudinal bore 2 extending therethrough, and at one end, in the present instance the inner end7 the cage is formed with a circular recess 3 threaded as at 4L for the reception of the correspondingly threaded end of a sleeve or the like which it might be desired to employ under special conditions of work, a keyway 5 being formed in the wall of the recess for the reception of a fastening key for locking the sleeve.

Extending through the longitudinal bore of the cage body is the usual tapered mandrel M which is employed for operating the tool. This mandrel is of less cross diameter than the bore 2 of the cage so that a space is formed between the mandrel and the wall of the bore. Communicating with the bore are the radially extending rectangular slots 7 formed in the body of the cage, these slots in the present instance being three in number, arranged in triangular relation. Y

The outer longitudinal edges of the side walls of each slot are extended inwardly to form retaining flanges 8 for the expanding and lianging devices of the tool. Each of these devices comprises a socket roller member 9 and ball roller member 12. The major portion of the body of the socket member 9 is cylindrical in form and at one end is beveled inwardly as at 10 with the end face rounded as at 10. The opposite end of the socket member` is grooved as at 11 to form a socket. The ball member 12 kof the device has a circumferential outwardly tapered central portion 13, the widened end of which merges into the flange 14 which is of uniform cross dimensions and has its outer end face l5 rounded or curved, this curved face forming the end of the ball roller. The opposite end of the ball member 12 terminates in a semispherical or ball drel.

section 16, the base of which merges into the beveled flange 17 formed at the narrow end of the central tapered portion 13. Each of the rectangular slots in the"cage body `is adapted to receive one of these expanding and Yflanging devices, and from the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my device will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will beseen that when the tool is assembled with the mandrel in place, it is designed to be inserted in the end of the tube so that the socket roller sections willrbear at their cylindrical portions against the inner wall of the tube at the tube seat, and against the tapered man- Likewise the ball roller members will bear at their tapered central portions against the outwardly extended end of the tube, and against the mandrel, the ball and socket rollers being held in the cage by the mandrel and by the longitudinal flanged edges 8 of the cage body. turned and fed inwardly in the usual manner, the socket members will expand the tube at the tube seat while the ball'members will flange or flare the extended end of the tube as clearly shown in F ig. 2.

t will be noted that I have provided an exceedingly convenient, simple and e'flicient tool by means of which tubes may be quickly and securely fixed in tube sheets, headers andthe like.

Vhile I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not con- 1 fine myself to all the precise details of con- As the mandrel is roller, a ball roller abutting against and working in the socket of the socket roller, and means for forcing the rollers against the inner wall of the tube to expand such tube.

2. The combination with a body portion, of a substantially cylindrical tube expanding roller having a socket in one end thereof, a tube Hanging roller provided with a beveled shoulder terminating in a ball-like section adapted to work within the socket of the expanding roller, and a tapered mandrel adapted to operate the rollers.

3. The combination with a body portion, of a roller having a cylindrical section adapted to extend within a tube, said roller having a socket in one end thereof, and a second roller having a tapered portion adapted to bear against the tube, said second roller having a ball section adapted to seat within the socket of the iirst mentioned roller, and means for operating therollers.

t. In a tool for expanding a tube, the combination with a cage adapted to be inserted within the tube, said cage having a bore and slot communicating with the bore,of a socket roller member extending through the slot, a ball roller member also extending through the slot and arranged abutting end to end with the socket roller member, and means for forcing the roller members against the inner wall Aof the tube to expand such tube.

5. In a tool for expanding a tube, the combination with a cage having a bore and a series of slots communicating with the bore, the walls of said slots forming retaining means, of a socket roller member arranged wit-hin each slot, a ball roller 'member arrangedV within each slot and abutting end to end with the socket member in the slot, and a mandrel extending through the bore o-f the cage for forcing the roller members against the inner wall of the tube to expand such tube.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. KERRIGAN.

fitnesses CHARLES J. MARDEN, WILLIAM B. HARRING'roN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

